Shoe waxing and polishing machine



A. SIROIS SHOE WAXING AND POLISHING MACHINE Dec. 20, 1960 f F'ledNov. 20, 1958 United States Patent() `2,964,768 suon WAX-ING ANDv PoLrsrnNG MACHINE Albani Sii-ois, 529 St. Louis St., La Tuque, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. zo, 195s, ser. N6. 775,160

6 claims. (c1. l1s-31) i The present invention relates to a waxing machine also arranged for polishing shoes and has for its main object such a machine more particularly arranged for coin operation such that it can be disposed in public places.

L An important object of the present invention is the provision of a shoe Waxing and polishing machine in which a single waxing brush is arranged for applying wax of diiferent colours.

l Yet another important object of the present invention is the provision of a shoe waxing machine provided with newand improved means for transferring wax from a reserve of wax to the waxing brush.

Still another important object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of the character described which =has selective means for selecting the desired colour of wax to be applied to the shoes.

Yet another important object of the present invention is the provision of a machine of the character described which is simple and relatively inexpensive to build.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings in which:

, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine of the present invention; i

.. Figure 2 is'a section along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 isa plan section along line 3-3 of Figure l; f Figure 4 is a perspective view of the means for applying wax to the waxing brush;

Figure 5 .is a longitudinal section of the wax reservoir, the applicator brush and the transfer brush, the latter being only partially-shown; Y j

Figure 6y is a front elevation of the assembly as shown in Figure 5; and l 'Figure' 7` isa sectional viewof the reservoir and 'applicator brush. l j

Referring nowfmore particularly to the drawings in which like reference `characters indicate like elements throughout, the machine of Vthe/present invention cornprises a base plate Ladaptedto be disposed flat on the iioor and on which is iitted a housing 2 having a top wall 3 and side walls 4 which form recesses 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d at the four corners of the housing 2 adjacent the base plate 1 and each having a sufficient height for the partial projection of a rotary brush while allowing easy insertion of the foot in order to wax and/or polish the shoe. The recesses 4a and 4b at oneend of the machine are arranged for the accommodation of a circular waxing brush 5 and of a circular polishing brush 6 respectively. The two brushes 5 and 6 are mounted on a common shaft 7 which is journaled in supports 8 which are in turn secured to the base plate 1. The common shaft 7 is rotated by electric motor 9 through pulley 10, belt 11 and pulley `12 fast on the shaft of motor 9. There are preferably two arrangements of a motor, a common shaft and a waxing and polishing brush, one arrangement at each end of the machine. The arrangement just described 2,964,768 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 with the waxing brush 5 in recess 4a and polishing brush 6v in recess 4b, is for waxing shoes with three different shades of the same basic colour, three shadesy of brown for instance, which are selected by depressing the desired actuating button 13, 14 or 15, the particular shade of brown being indicated opposite each button by area 16.

The waxing brush 5' disposed in recess 4c is arranged for applying for instance black wax on shoes. The polishing brush 6 disposed in recess 4d and fast on shaft 7' driven by motor 9' is for polishing shoes which have been waxed by brush 5', for instance black shoes.

A coin A dropped through coin slot 17 in the top wall 3 of the housing 2 actuates a switch (not shown), and a timer 18 which closes for a predetermined time the electric circuit to the associated motor 9 which thereby starts rotation of brushes 5 and 6. Similarly, insertion of a coin in coin slot 17 will cause rotation of motor 9 for a predetermined time. The housing is provided with a power supply cord 19 for plugging into a standard electrical outlet.

During rotation of waxing brush 5, wax of the desired colour is applied thereon by depressing one of buttons l13, 14 and 15. Similarly, black wax is applied unto waxing brush 5' during rotation of the latter` by depressing button 20. 'l

The means to apply the wax unto the waxing brushes 5 or 5 include a circular transfer brush 21 of approximately the same diameter as the associated waxing brush 5 and arranged directly o n top of the latter and in mutual peripheral contact, the transfer brush 21 is mounted for free rotation on its spindle 22 which in turn ycan be adjustably positioned towards or awayl from brush 5 by being secured in slot 23 of a bracket l24 itself secured by bolts 25 to the portion of the housing 2 forming the top wall of recess 4a or 4c. The radial distance between the axes of brushes 5 and 21 is adjusted so as to obtainsufficient frictional contact between the two brushes such that brush 21 will be rotated by brush 5 with the bristles of the two `brushes mutually interengaging whereby wax at the surface of transfer brush 21 will be uniformly transferred unto the bristles of waxing brush 5.

The bracket 24 is extended upwardly by meansof an integral rod 26 4having its upper end slidably inserted within the lower hollow end of the actuating button 14, previously referred to. As shown in Figure 6, button 14 can move longitudinally of rod 26 becauseV cotter pin 27 securing the button to the rod passes through a slot 28 made in said rod 26.

` `An elongated reservoir 29 containing wax 30 is disposed vertically above the transfer brush 21. The reservoir or receptacle 2.9 is provided with ears 31 slidable on rod 26, which supports said receptacle 29, the upper ear 31 is urged in abutment against the lower end of button 14 by means of coil spring 32 the other end of which abuts col-lar 33 secured to shaft 26. An adjustable abutment collar 34 is secured on rod 26 and sets the limit downward position of receptacle 29. A small diameter rotary applicator brush 35 is journaled at the lower end of receptacle 29 being mounted on shaft 36 disposed across the lower opening of receptacle 29. The applicator brush 35 has a solid cylindrical core 37 with short bristles arranged in tufts 38 which are disposed 4in rows peripherally extending on the core 37. Short wires 39 are secured to the lower edge of the receptacle 29 and are adapted to extend inwardly across the lower opening of the receptacle towards each other and to contact the core 37 between the rows of tufts 38; the wires 39 control the feeding of the wax to the applicator brush 35 in that they prevent excessive dispensing of the wax. A certain pressure is applied to the wax for uniformly feeding the sameY to the applicator brush 35 by means of a pusher plate 40 and coil spring 41 surrounding a guiding rod 42 secured to plate 40 and slidably passing through a central Aopening made in cover plate 43 removably closing the upperV Open end of receptacle 29 and secured to said receptacle by means of wing'nuts 44, adjustment of which controls the pressure exerted on wax 30.

Depression of the button 14 will move the associated receptacle 24 downwardly until brush 35 comes in contact with transfer brush 21 and is rotated by the latter. Thus the bristles of the applicator brush 35 remove wax from the receptacle and transfer the same to the transfer brush 21 which in turn forms a uniform wax coating on me waxing brush 5. This operation is manually effected by the operator himself which controls the position of button 14 depending on the amount of wax desired to be applied on the shoes. On the side of the machine for dispensing black wax and operated by the single button 20 there is only one receptacle for the black wax and consequently one rod 26 secured to bracket 24. However on the side of the machine arranged for dispensing three different shades of one colour of wax, as by buttons 13, 14 and 15, each of said buttons is associated with a rod 26 and consequently there are three rods 26 secured to a transverse leg 45 of the bracket 24. Each button 13, 14 and 15 is associated with a receptacle 29 which are disposed side by side as shown in Figure 2 and each receptacle 29 is provided with its own applicator brush 35 adapted to contact the same transfer brush 21 at different peripheral portions of the latter.

Shielding members 46 are preferably disposed around the transfer brush 21.

Y The machine of the present invention is operated as follows:

A coin A is inserted in the coin slot 17 on the side of the machine provided with the particular colour of wax desired. The associated electric motor starts to rotate the waxing and polishing brushes for a predetermined amount of time set by timer 18. The shoes are conveniently applied against the rotating waxing and polishing brushes which are easily accessible within recesses 4a and 4b. The desired amount of wax is applied to the waxing brush 5 or 5 by depressing buttons 13, 14, 15 or 20 for transfering wax from receptacle 29 to the waxing brush through transfer brush 21.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A shoe waxing machine comprising -a base, a support on said base, a shaft journaled in saidV support, power means mounted on said base to drive said shaft, means to control said power means, a circular waxing brush fast on said shaft and means to apply wax on said Waxing brush, said means including an upstanding bracket fast on said base, a transfer roller brush freely rotatably mounted on said bracket for'peripheral contact with said waxing brush, whereby said transfer brush is rotated by said waxing brush, a rod secured to and upstanding from said bracket, an open ended vertically disposed receptacle containing paste wax and slidably mounted on said rod, a freely rotatable applicator brush mounted within the lower end of said receptacle and having its bristles engaging with the wax in said receptacle, spring means urging said receptacle to a position with said applicator brush out of contact with said transfer brush, and manually opearted means for sliding said receptacle longitudinally of said rod to bring said applicator brush into contact with said transfer brush and be rotated thereby to supply said transfer brush with Wax which is in turn uniformly transferred by said transfer brush to the periphery of said waxing brush.

2. A shoe waxing machine as claimed in claim l, wherein said manually operated means include a push button slidably mounted on said rod and engaging said receptacle.

3. A shoe waxing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transfer brush is adjustably mounted on said bracket for adjustable positioning towards or away from said waxing brush.

4. A shoe wa'xin'g machine as claimed in claim 2, including means to apply pressure on the wax in said receptacle to feed the same towards said applicator brush, and means for restraining flow of said wax past said applicator brush comprising spaced wires extending inwardly across the lower opening of said receptacle and over said applicator brush.

5. A shoe waxing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said button, receptacle and applicator brush form a unit for applying unto said transfer brush a particular colour of wax, there being provided a plurality of such units arranged side by side and with their associated applicator brush adapted to be selectively brought into contact with the same transfer brush.

6. A shoe waxing machine as claimed in claim l, further including a polishing brush fast on said shaft, a housing upstanding from said base and forming recesses with said base at the corners of said housing, said waxing and polishing brushes extending downwardly from the top portion of said recesses, Aand said shaft on which said polishing and waxing brushes are secured arranged transversely of the housing and horizontally.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,493,839 Basinow May 13, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 40,630 Sweden 1916 441,134 Germany Feb. 24, 1927 536,109 Germany Y Oct. 19, 1931 

